Psalms 78
1 A maskil of Asaph. My people, attend to my teaching: bend your ears to the words of my mouth,
Maschil. Of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; let your ears be bent down to the words of my mouth.
2 as I open my mouth in a poem on the riddling story of the past.
Opening my mouth I will give out a story, even the dark sayings of old times;
3 What we have heard and known, and what our ancestors have told us,
Which have come to our hearing and our knowledge, as they were given to us by our fathers.
4 we will not hide from their children. We will tell to the next generation the praises and might of the Lord, and the wonders that he has done.
We will not keep them secret from our children; we will make clear to the coming generation the praises of the Lord and his strength, and the great works of wonder which he has done.
5 He set up a testimony in Jacob, a law he appointed in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to make known to their children,
He put up a witness in Jacob, and made a law in Israel; which he gave to our fathers so that they might give knowledge of them to their children;
6 that the next generation should know it, that the children yet to be born should arise and tell their children;
So that the generation to come might have knowledge of them, even the children of the future, who would give word of them to their children;
7 that in God they might put their confidence, and not forget God’s works; but that they might keep his commandments,
So that they might put their hope in God, and not let God's works go out of their minds, but keep his laws;
8 and not be like their ancestors, a generation defiant and stubborn, a generation with heart unsteady, and spirit unfaithful towards God.
And not be like their fathers, a stiff-necked and uncontrolled generation; a generation whose heart was hard, whose spirit was not true to God.
9 Ephraimites, armed bowmen, turned back in the day of battle.
The children of Ephraim, armed with bows, were turned back on the day of the fight.
10 They did not keep God’s covenant, they refused to walk in his law.
They were not ruled by God's word, and they would not go in the way of his law;
11 They forgot what he had done, and the wonders he had shown them.
They let his works go out of their memory, and the wonders which he had made them see.
12 He did wonders before their ancestors in the country of Zoan in Egypt.
He did great works before the eyes of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.
13 Through the sea which he split he brought them, making waters stand up like a heap;
The sea was cut in two so that they might go through; the waters were massed together on this side and on that.
14 he led them by day with a cloud, all the night with a light of fire.
In the daytime he was guiding them in the cloud, and all through the night with a light of fire.
15 From the rocks which he split in the wilderness, he gave them to drink as of ocean’s abundance.
The rocks of the waste land were broken by his power, and he gave them drink as out of the deep waters.
16 He brought streams out of the rock, and made water run down like rivers.
He made streams come out of the rock; and waters came flowing down like rivers.
17 Yet they still went on sinning against him, they defied the Most High in the desert.
And they went on sinning against him even more, turning away from the Most High in the waste land;
18 They willfully challenged God, demanding the food that they longed for.
Testing God in their hearts, requesting meat for their desire.
19 “Is God able,” such was their challenge, “to spread in the desert a table?
They said bitter words against God, saying, Is God able to make ready a table in the waste land?
20 From the rock that he struck there gushed water, and torrents that overflowed; but can he also give bread, or provide his people with meat?”
See, the rock was cut open by his power, so that the water came rushing out, and overflowing streams; is he able to give us bread? is he able to get meat for his people?
21 When the Lord heard this, he was furious, and fire was kindled on Jacob, anger flared up against Israel.
So these things came to the Lord's ears, and he was angry; and a fire was lighted against Jacob, and wrath came up against Israel;
22 For they put no trust in God, no confidence in his help.
Because they had no faith in God, and no hope in his salvation.
23 So he summoned the clouds above; and, opening the doors of heaven,
And he gave orders to the clouds on high, and the doors of heaven were open;
24 he rained manna upon them for food, and grain of heaven he gave them.
And he sent down manna like rain for their food, and gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Everyone ate the bread of angels; he sent them food to the full.
Man took part in the food of strong ones; he sent them meat in full measure.
26 He launched the east wind in the heavens, and guided the south by his power.
He sent an east wind from heaven, driving on the south wind by his power.
27 He rained meat upon them like dust, winged bird like the sand of the sea.
He sent down meat on them like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the sea,
28 In the midst of their camp he dropped it, all around their tents.
And he let it come down into their resting-place, round about their tents.
29 They ate and were more than filled; he had brought them the thing they desired.
So they had food and were full; for he gave them their desire;
30 But the thing they desired became loathsome: while their food was still in their mouths,
But they were not turned from their desires; and while the food was still in their mouths,
31 the wrath of God rose against them. He slew the stoutest among them, and laid low the young men of Israel.
The wrath of God came on them, and put to death the fattest of them, and put an end to the young men of Israel.
32 Yet for all this they sinned yet more, and refused to believe in his wonders.
For all this they went on sinning even more, and had no faith in his great wonders.
33 So he ended their days in a breath, and their years in sudden dismay.
So their days were wasted like a breath, and their years in trouble.
34 When he slew them, then they sought after him, they turned and sought God with diligence.
When he sent death on them, then they made search for him; turning to him and looking for him with care;
35 They remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their redeemer.
In the memory that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their saviour.
36 But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him;
37 Their heart was not steady with him, they were faithless to his covenant.
And their hearts were not right with him, and they did not keep their agreement with him.
38 But he is full of pity: he pardons sin and destroys not. Often he turns his anger away, without stirring his wrath at all.
But he, being full of pity, has forgiveness for sin, and does not put an end to man: frequently turning back his wrath, and not being violently angry.
39 So he remembered that they were but flesh, breath that passes and does not return.
So he kept in mind that they were only flesh; a breath which is quickly gone, and will not come again.
40 But how often they rebelled in the desert, and caused him grief in the wilderness,
How frequently did they go against him in the waste land, and give him cause for grief in the dry places!
41 tempting God again and again, provoking the Holy One of Israel.
Again they put God to the test, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember his strength, nor the day he redeemed from the foe,
They did not keep in mind the work of his hand, or the day when he took them from the power of their haters;
43 how he set his signs in Egypt, in the country of Zoan his wonders.
How he had done his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan;
44 He turned their canals into blood, their streams undrinkable.
So that their rivers were turned to blood, and they were not able to get drink from their streams.
45 He sent forth flies, which devoured them; frogs, too, which destroyed them.
He sent different sorts of flies among them, poisoning their flesh; and frogs for their destruction.
46 Their crops he gave to the caterpillar, and the fruits of their toil to the locust.
He gave the increase of their fields to worms, the fruits of their industry to the locusts.
47 He slew their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with frost.
He sent ice for the destruction of their vines; their trees were damaged by the bitter cold.
48 He delivered their cattle to the hail, and their flocks to bolts of fire.
Ice was rained down on their cattle; thunderstorms sent destruction among the flocks.
49 He let loose his hot anger among them, fury and wrath and distress, a band of destroying angels.
He sent on them the heat of his wrath, his bitter disgust, letting loose evil angels among them.
50 He cleared a path for his anger, did not spare them from death, but gave them over to pestilence.
He let his wrath have its way; he did not keep back their soul from death, but gave their life to disease.
51 He struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, the first fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.
He gave to destruction all the first sons of Egypt; the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham;
52 He led forth his people like sheep, he was guide to his flock in the desert.
But he took his people out like sheep, guiding them in the waste land like a flock.
53 Securely he led them, and free from fear, while their foes were drowned in the sea.
He took them on safely so that they had no fear; but their haters were covered by the sea.
54 To his holy realm he brought them, to the mountain his right hand had purchased.
And he was their guide to his holy land, even to the mountain, which his right hand had made his;
55 He drove out the nations before them, and allotted their land for possession, and their tents for Israel to live in.
Driving out nations before them, marking out the line of their heritage, and giving the people of Israel their tents for a resting-place.
56 Yet they tempted and angered the Most High God, they did not observe his decrees.
But they were bitter against the Most High God, testing him, and not keeping his laws;
57 They drew back, false like their ancestors; they failed like a treacherous bow.
Their hearts were turned back and untrue like their fathers; they were turned to one side like a twisted bow.
58 Their shrines stirred him to anger, their idols moved him to jealousy.
They made him angry with their high places; moving him to wrath with their images.
59 When God heard of this, he was furious, and he spurned Israel utterly.
When this came to God's ears he was very angry, and gave up Israel completely;
60 He abandoned his home in Shiloh, the tent he had pitched among people.
So that he went away from the holy place in Shiloh, the tent which he had put among men;
61 He gave his strength up to captivity, his glory to the hands of the foe.
And he let his strength be taken prisoner, and gave his glory into the hands of his hater.
62 He gave his people to the sword, he was furious with his own.
He gave his people up to the sword, and was angry with his heritage.
63 Fire devoured their young men, and their maidens had no marriage-song.
Their young men were burned in the fire; and their virgins were not praised in the bride-song.
64 Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows could not weep.
Their priests were put to death by the sword, and their widows made no weeping for them.
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a warrior flushed with wine;
Then was the Lord like one awaking from sleep, and like a strong man crying out because of wine.
66 and he beat back his foes, putting them to perpetual scorn.
His haters were turned back by his blows and shamed for ever.
67 He disowned the tent of Joseph, he rejected the tribe of Ephraim;
And he put the tent of Joseph on one side, and took not the tribe of Ephraim;
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves.
But he took the tribe of Judah for himself, and the mountain of Zion, in which he had pleasure.
69 And he built like the heights his sanctuary, like the earth which he founded forever.
And he made his holy place like the high heaven, like the earth which is fixed by him for ever.
70 And he chose David his servant, taking him from the sheepfolds.
He took David to be his servant, taking him from the place of the flocks;
71 From the mother-ewes he brought him, to be shepherd to Jacob his people, and to Israel his inheritance.
From looking after the sheep which were giving milk, he took him to give food to Jacob his people, and to Israel his heritage.
72 With upright heart did he shepherd them, and with skilful hands did he guide them.
So he gave them food with an upright heart, guiding them by the wisdom of his hands.
